Mad or Nah? APR 2021

Nervous neighbors sound off while awaiting the Chauvin verdict. 

Mad or Nah is an original woman-on-the-street interview series from REVIVE Radio that asks Philadelphians about issues impacting their everyday life. Tamara Russell aka Proof of Consciousness aka P.O.C. hosts and produces a variety of award-winning shows featured on Uptown Radio 98.5FM and Philly’s WHYY/NPR/PBS outlets.

Mad or Nah? West Philly Businesses Owners React to Looting Fears:  

Seems whenever racial tensions feel like they’re boiling over, all eyes turn to West Philly, where some of 2020’s worst looting occurred. This spring as the nation braced for the George Floyd verdict, many business owners prepared for the worst, while others seemed resigned and even philosophical.

Mostly everyone’s minds were on bouncing back – and plugging their business! We’re glad to share these local shops and services, and urge neighbors to support their safety and success.

Meanwhile – in their own words, what are their fears and concerns in times of unrest? How do they secure their staff and property? How do they expect the City to help?

NOTE: Some speakers provide their names & neighborhoods, some don’t. Check out their voices in P.O.C.’s original interviews, recorded on the eve of an historic conviction — and transcribed here:

  • Cops told us just to be on guard really, there’s nothing they can really do. We just trying to see, like everyone else. Hopefully they get the right verdict, right? Regardless, people are gonna riot or whatever… We will possibly board up because we got hit pretty bad last time, they took everything, broke everything. Not just here but on 60th Street too. And our store on Woodland, we had to close it, because of how bad they were looted. There’s nothing we can really do. We can’t stand outside and protect the store and we’re not going to stop people from coming in if they decide to riot again. Last time people were getting beat up, shot. So we can just hope for the best honestly. We do cell phones and electronics: 

Mobile Connect
BUY-SELL-FIX-TRADE
33 South 60th
10 South 52nd
215-316-4970
IG: @mobilconnect123

  • Um, well, probably I’ll just go get some boards and board it up and print “Black Lives Matter” on the outside. And um, I might have security out here I’m not sure.
  • This was this is a dream and I’m lucky to actually get this space because I’m from around here. So this is really a good place for me and I’m happy to be right here in the neighborhood. I just want everybody to keep peaceful and you know, iwhatever the verdict is, It’s just the verdict. We got to understand that we got to be more careful and cautious when we’re dealing with certain type of people. So I mean it’s nothing we could do. This just been going on since the beginning of time. I have a woman’s boutique called Prodressnal:

Prodressnal Boutique
Fashion trends, exclusive brands
329 South 52nd
215-921-6935
prodressnal.com
IG: @prodressnalshowroom

  • Well you know we’re not expecting any problems. And there’s nothing we can do if problems come. Because we expect the city to protect us — that’s the only thing we can do. So we don’t know what’s gonna happen and we can’t prepare for that. I don’t know what we talking about for real. We already know injustice is coming. So how do we prepare for injustice?  That’s all I can say. I don’t have anything else to say. We’re the African Culture Art Forum, we’ve been in business 52 years, we’re at 52nd and Chancellor: 

African Cultural Art Forum
Art, décor, jewelry, incense, carvings, oils, other products of the African Diaspora. Since 1969.
221 South 52nd
215-476-0680
acaf.us
FB: @acaftribe

  • It definitely needs to be boarded up more and more police — visually, we want to see them being out here. I don’t know if that’s gonna help if things go wrong but definitely this needs to be boarded up. Every time something heavy goes down, we have to come down to protect our stuff. We’re not supposed to be out here but we also got to protect the stores around here. We’ve been broken in — this block been broken in a bunch of times. So if the outcome turns out not being with everyone wants it to be, the police presence isn’t gonna make a difference. All the businesses need to be boarded up: Black white, Puerto Ricans — because at the end of the day, the people are just tired.
  • Prepare for something to happen. Where is the funding for the businesses that may need it that may not have money to board up their stores? That may not have money to get locks and buy new windows? How even does a small business apply for funding for protection? How can they be helped?

How ‘bout you?

Reading these comments, are you mad or nah? Big mad, little mad? Reach out to revive.poc@gmail.com or leave a message on this post below.

Tune in at REVIVEISALIVE.COM, also featured on WHYY.org. Follow on all social sites @Revive_POC.  This post made possible through a partnership with WHYY/N.I.C.E

About P.O.C. 20 Articles
Tamara Russell (aka Proof of Consciousness aka P.O.C.) hosts and produces a variety of award-winning shows featured on Uptown Radio 98.5FM and Philly’s WHYY/NPR/PBS outlets. "Mad or Nah" is an original woman-on-the-street interview series from REVIVE Radio that asks Philadelphians about issues impacting their everyday life.

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